The Anniversary Brothers TV Podcast: American Idol 20th Anniversary

Aaron and Josh are here for their latest TV retrospective, this time on American Idol for its 20th anniversary.

American Idol is signing competition created by Simon Fuller, based on the British show Pop Idol. It debuted on FOX on June 11, 2002, where it ran for 15 seasons. After a hiatus, ABC revived the series, which just concluded its 20th season.

During the auditions, the show’s judges determine whether the contestants make the trip to Hollywood. Later, the television audience votes on their favorite performances, until one singer is crowned the winner. The original three judges were record producer/music manager Randy Jackson, singer/choreographer Paula Abdul, and music executive/manger Simon Cowell.

On FOX American Idol was the most watched show on television, consistently ranking number one. However, many critics condemned its commercialism and sadistic selection process.

Aaron and Josh talk about the first episode, the judges, notable contestants, and how real the “reality TV show” really is.

You can listen to Josh and Aaron’s previous podcast on Lilo & Stitch.

American Idol is streaming on Hulu.